Banks sometimes finance the land, homes and equipment that made up a family farm operation, this is true today as it was during the 1930s. Due to the economic downturn, drought and drifting soil of the Great Depression, conditions were tough for family farms and many were defaulted on. As a way to combat that, The Farmers’ Credit Arrangement Act was passed in 1934 that helped to make these bank loans more easily payable for these families.

In Lara Campbell’s book “Respectable Citizens” she discusses the impact of this tough economic situation on family farms. On page 124 she says “Eviction was not just an urban phenomenon. When farmers were faced with foreclosure, their families faced the potential loss of their home and also of their livelihood.” This shows just how serious defaulting on these bank loans could be.

She goes on to say on page 124 that “The Farmers’ Credit Arrangement Act (1934), implemented by Prime Minister Bennett, provided a measure of credit relief to farmers in debt during the Depression by reducing interest and principal payments' ‘down to the productive level of the farm'.’” It is this act that this card is based upon. The year that game play is in has a massive impact on the amount owed, just like it would have had during the 1930s in southern Alberta.

Bibliography:

Campbell, Lara. Respectable Citizens: Gender, Family, and Unemployment in Ontario's Great Depression. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2009.

“1936 canlii 51 (SCC) | reference re legislative jurisdiction of parliament of canada to enact the Dominion Trade and Industry Commission Act, 1935”. Supreme court of Canada. https://www.canlii.org/en/ca/scc/doc/1936/1936canlii35/1936canlii35.html#document

Telfer , Thomas, and Virginia Torrie . “Farm Businesses, Debt Adjustment & Federalism.” Western Law, December 23, 2021. https://law.uwo.ca/about_us/blog/farm_businesses_debt_adjustment__federalism.html#:~:text=Parliament’s%20response%20to%20the%20situation,debt%20compromises%20with%20their%20creditors.